Gyroscopic stabilizer



C. E. SCHUELLER GYROSCOPIC STABILIZER Mamh 22, 192% LGZLME Filed Aug. 5, l926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 6:45pm A. 5HuELLEn ATTORNEYS.

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Mb 192 o a 7 c. E SCHUELLER GYROSCOPIC STABILIZER Filed Aug. 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

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' 'rao STATES I CASPER a. senunnnnn, or unmet-carnelian.

eynoscorrc STABIIimEB.

Application filed August 5, 1926. Serial m. 127,400;

My invention relates to gyroscopic devices employed in conjunction with the mountings of certain instruments, such as headlights, searchlights, cameras, or the like, on bodies adapted to move on land, in water or in the air, as, for example, automobiles, locomo--- and theother on a horizontal shaft;

tives, ships or aeroplanes, which bodies are continuall any movement tending to deflect the instrur ment from a predetermined position is instantaneously transmitted to the gyroscopes and counteracted by them, and that the gyroscopes counteracting movement is instantaneously transmitted to the mounting,

so that'the instrument is thus steadily heldin the predetermined position during all oscillating movements of the moving body.

Further objects and advanta es will be understood from the following etailed description having reference to a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation oftwo gyroscopes mounted on a deck or other support of a moving body and connected with the mounting of a Searchlight according to the principle of my invention, the housi'n s for the scopes being broken in or er to show interior parts:

Figu're 2 is a plan of Figure 1, the tops of the housings being broken in order to show more clearlythe arrangement of the. gyroscopes:-

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic front view of my invention, as applied to a deck of a ship,

and shows how the instrument is maintained in the same position, whether the ships deck is in a horizontal position or whether the ship is'rolling so that the deck transversely is m two. oppositely oblique positions;

Figure 41s a diagrammatlc side view of my invention as applied to the deck of a ship, and shows how the instrument is maintained in the same position, whether the ships deck is in a horizontal position or whether the ship is pitching up or down so subjected to oscillatory move ments bot longitudinally and transversely,

that the deck longitudinally is in two oppo- Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plan view,

showing one gyroscope on a vertical shaft Figure 7 is a view of a gyroscope as shown to the left n'Figure 1, but with a motor attached;

and

Figure -9 is a fragmental plan of the .grmbal, and a pivot of one of the gyroscopes,

and shows how the gimbal pivot is connected with the pivot of the gyroscope frame by Figure 8 is a side elevation of Figure 7;

means of a telescopic shaft,- and universal I joints. 1 a

In the drawings the'numeral 1 indicates a support, such as a deck or floor of a ship, locomotive, automobile, aeroplane, or any other body used in transportation and subjected to oscillating movements both longitudinally and transversely. On this deck I mount pivotall-y'two. gyroscopes 2 and 3, preferably opposite to each other. These gyroscopes are of the-usual construction, the gyroscope 2 thus having a frame 4, the gyroscope 3 havinga frame 5, and the frame 4 belng provided with supporting pivots 6 arranged on a normall horizontalaxis at right angles to the axis of the gyroscope 2, whllethe frame 5 is provided with supportmg plvots. 8 arranged on a normally horizontal axis at right angles to the axls 9 of the gyrosco e 3, The gyroscope frames are soarran relative to each other that the ax1s of e supporting pivots6 of the gyroscope 2 is at right angles to the axis of the supportm pivots 8 of the roscope'3, the plvots 6 or this purpose ing rotatably su ported n bearings 10 on suitable standar s ,11 secured to the deck 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2,, and the. iv'ots 8 being in -a-- similar manner rotatab y supported in bearin' 12 on suitable standards 13 also secure to the deck.

Above the deck 1 I-preferably arran e another deck14 and secure theretosta'ndarfis 15 for supporting thereon a gimbal 16,

which consists of an inner element in the form of a disk or ring 17 mounted on a pivotal arms by means ofpivots 18 within an outer element or ring 19, and the pivots 20 of the outer elementare arranged on an axis at right angles to the axis of the inner tending .element and are'rotatable in bearings 21' on the standards'lfi, 'An instrument '22, such as a searchlight,-camera, or the like, is fixed to the inner element17j in an suitablemanner so that the instrument ist ereby adapted nected by another coupling 25 with one of.

the pivots '8 of the gyroscope frame. 5, and one of the pivots20 of the outer gimbalelement 19 may be .similarl connected by means of a couplin .26 \wit one end .of a' flexible shaft 27, which also extends through .an opening in the deck 14, while the other endof the shaft is connected by another coupling 28 with one of the pivots 6 ofthe joscope frame 4. For the pur se of aiding. the gyroscopes in their sta ilizing tendency, the frames 4 and 5 may be further provided on their undersides with weights- 29, Each of the glyroscopes may also be inclosed in a suite le housing 30, preferably provided with a cover' 31 in order to allow access to the gyroscope.

Although I prefer to employ flexible shaft connections between the gimbal and the respective gyroscope frames, I may in some instances substitute for the flexible shafts 24 and 27 other shafts of a non-flexible nature.

Such a shaft 32 is shown in Figure 921s being of the usual telescopic construction and aving a universal-joint connection with the pivot 18 of the inner gimbal-element, and another universal-joint connection with the pivot 8 of the gyroscope frame 5.

It is evident that any suitable means for rotating the gyrosco es may be utilized, accordin to the speci c requlrements in each case. %he rotating meansshown in Figures 7 and 8 are therefore merely suggestive and not intended to illustrate any preferred mode of im arting -rotative motion to the gyroscope. this instance I illustrate the gyroscope 2 as havin u on its shaft or axis and near each en t ereof mounted an armature -33, which rotatesbetween field magnets 34 secured to the gyroscope frame by suitable supporting bars 35.

In Figures 1,2, 3 and 4 the gyroscopes are shown as rotating on horizontal axes, but such an arrangement is not absolutely necessary, as is understood from the diagrammatic representation in Figure 5, in which both gyroscopes are shown as rotating on vertical axes, or from the diagrammatic,

representation in Figure 6, in which one groscope 1s'shown as rotating on a vertical flXlS and the other gyroscope as rotating on a horizontal axis. In each instance,

however, the axis of each roscope is at right angles to the axis of t e supporting pivots of the gyroscope frame, and the axis rolling, as shown to the left and the right inFigure 3, or when the ship is pitching, as shownto the left and the right in Figure 4, the Searchlight or camera 22 is always maintained in its predetermined position, because the shafts 24, 27 or 32 so connect the respective supporting pivots of the roscope frames with the'respective gim al pivots as to transmit the stabilizing effect of the gyroscopes to the gimbal. Since thus the shlps oscillative movementsin all directions are relatively non-efiective upon the gyroscopes, and since the stabilizing tendency of the gyroscopes is transmitted by the shafts-to the gimbal, it is possible by my arrangement to take pictures with a moving-picture camera or to emit the rays .from a searchli ht in a predetermined direction from the eck of a rolling or pitching ship with the assurance that such instruments will be held steadily in their required working positions.

I claim as my invention:

1. A gyroscopic stabilizer comprising two gyroscopes pivotally mounted on a support,

'the supporting pivots of each gyroscope bemg on a normally horizontal axis at right angles to the axis of thegyroscope, and the axis of the supporting pivots of one roscope being at right angles to the axis of the supporting pivots of the other gyroscope; a gimbal consisting of an inner element mounted on a pivotal axis within an outer element and adapted to have an instrument mounted thereon, the outer element being pivotally mounted upon said sup ort on an axis at right angles to the axis 0 the inner element; a shaft connecting a pivot of one of the gyroscopes with one of the ivots of the inner element of the gimbal; an another shaft connecting one of the pivots of the other gyroscope with one of the pivots of the outer element of the gimbal.

2. A gyroscopic stabilizer comprising two gyroscopes ivotally mounted on a support, the supporting pivots of each gyroscope being on a normally horizontal axis at right angles to the axis of the gyrosco and the axis of the supporting pivots 0 one gyroscope being at right angles to the axis of the supporting pivots of the other gyroscope; a gimbal consisting of .an inner element mounted on a pivotal axis withinan outer element and adapted to have an instrument mounted thereon, the outer element being pivotally mounted upon said support on an axis at right angles to the axis of the inner element; a flexible shaft connecting a pivot of one of the gyroscopes with one of the mg on an axis at right an les to the axis of the gyroscope, and the axis of the supporting pivots of one gyroscope being at right angles to the .axis of the supporting pivots of the other gyroscope; a gimbal consisting of an inner element mounted on a pivotal axis within an outer element and adapted to have an instrument mounted thereon, the outer element being pivotally mounted upon said support on an axis at right-angles to the axis of the inner element; a shaft connecting a pivot of one of the gyroscopes with one of the pivots of the inner element .of the gimbal; another shaft connecting one of the pivots of the other gyroscope with one of the pivots of the outer element of the gimbal; and means for rotating the gyroscopes.

4. A gyroscopic stabilizer comprising two gyroscopes pivotally mounted on a support, the supporting pivots of each gyroscope being on an axis at, right angles to the axis of the gyroscope, and the axls of the supporting pivots of one gyroscope being at right angles to the axis of the-supporting pivots of the other gyroscope; a gimba'l consisting of an inner element mounted. on a pivotal axis within an outer element and adapted to have an instrument mounted thereon, the outer element being pivotally mounted upon said support on an axis at right angles to the axis of the inner element; a flexible shaft connecting a pivot of one of the gyroscopes with one of the pivots of the inner element of the gimbal; another flexible shaft con- 1 necting one of the pivots of the other gyroscope with one of the pivots of the outer element of the gimbal; and means for rotating the gyroscopes.

5, A gyroscopic stabilizer comprising two gyroscopes, each provided with a frame pivotally mounted on a support, the supporting pivots of each gyroscope being on-a normally horizontal axis at ri ht angles to the axis of the gyroscope, and the axis of the supporting'pivots of one gyroscope being at rightan les to the axis of the supporting pivots o the other gyroscope; a weight secured to each frame for aiding in the stabilizin tendency of the respective gyroscope; a gimbal consisting of an inner element mounted on a pivotal axis within an outer element and adapted to have an instrument mounted thereon, the outer element being" pivotally mounted upon said support on an axis at right angles to the axis of the inner element, a shaft connecting a ivot of one of the gyroscopes withone of tie pivots of, the inner element of the gimbal; and an-. other shaft connecting one of the ivots of the other gyroscope with one of t e pivots of the outer element of the gimbal.

CASPER E. SCHUELLER. 

